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‘Important’ health care stuff and a few less weighty matters

“Have you begun to consider what you might write about this week?” she posed, a few hours before my deadline.

“Probably about how I’m not going to be writing about health care,” was my response.

Let me explain, prior to a few words about health care.

It’s a blessing but sometimes a curse, this regular position here on The Daily Sentinel’s editorial page. The location is appropriate for commentary but frustrating in that I’m occasionally reminded this page is for discussion of “important” issues. The other kinds of things I like to write about are relegated to a very occasional offering.

Things like people, personal events, community history warped by a baby boomer’s selective memory and, with apologies to Mike Perry and staff at the Museum of the West, unimpeded by factual research that dulls a true historian’s view.

First, I’ll genuflect toward the altar of issues.

Many commentators have been in full roar since last Thursday’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the Affordable Care Act, better known by the pejorative “Obamacare.”

Me, I figure there’s little percentage in adding my own analysis to that of the two most qualified people in town, former Colorado Medical Society President Dr. Mike Pramenko and Rocky Mountain Health Plans CEO Steve ErkenBrack, as offered in Sunday’s paper. Or, for that matter, the very practical analysis of Sentinel Publisher Jay Seaton about realistic outcomes and why Obamacare is unlikely to be repealed.

So I’ll just pass on this comment from one national blog regarding the socialistic “tyranny” upheld by our highest court.

“A law passed by a majority in a democratically elected House, a supermajority in the democratically elected Senate, and affirmed by five justices appointed with the approval of the Senate by three separate presidents representing both major parties, subject to any repeal a future set of elected legislators may choose to take? Tyranny indeed!”

Having satisfied the “issues” gods, I’ll devote my remaining words to a couple of less important topics — Lester Beaird and Bill Luzmoor.

There are many reasons to attend a Ralph Dinosaur concert such as the one that’ll occur in Fruita this week or the one that took place down at the Botanical Gardens a few weeks ago.

His music always appeals to those of us “of a certain age.” We satisfy our curiosity about whether Ralph still fits into a size 6 dress and learn a little more about the shady early lives of pillars of our community who attended North Avenue University with Ralph “back in the day.”

The evening turned into a reunion when Ralph offered a shout-out to “my friend Lester, 93 years young” and I looked three seats to my left to see my old Legion baseball coach.

Lester coached the Gay Johnson’s team when he wasn’t railroading. We wore our heavy grey flannel uniforms on diamonds in Lincoln Park (pre-Suplizio Field days), Rangely and elsewhere. In fact, 50 years ago this week may have been the July 4th tournament in pre-skiing Telluride, when one memorable site was a local cop driving around with a tub of iced beverages on the hood of his old Jeep.

We played “hurt” in Glenwood Springs after chewing our first Red Man. Maybe that’s why I dropped a pop-up behind first base. The next game, Lester penciled me in at third, apparently figuring the intricacies of infield play would become clearer in the “hot corner.”

(Memo to Jamie Hamilton: Get Lester’s name up on one of those baseballs behind left field.)

Then there’s Bill, “William J. Luzmoor III,” as the headline atop the obituary read. Some around here might remember Bill doing the morning oldies show on KEXO while helping me decipher the realities of owning a couple of local radio stations.

Our friendship spanning five decades began the Monday after I watched Dan Rather’s first “60 Minutes” piece on corruption in Rock Springs, Wyo., during mid-1970s boom times. Bill brought Rather in, troubled by what was happening to his hometown. It cost him dearly. His joy was returning years later for a successful 19-year run after repurchasing the stations he was forced to give up for doing that.

There’s a big steak and a Black Jack on the rocks in my future at Ted’s Supper Club up there. Neither will taste the same without Bill.

Jim Spehar will return to important matters next week. Your comments are welcome at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).